Wire stripper



'June 2 1942- R. J. MONTGOMERY wm: STRIPPER Filed sept. 12, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June .2, 1942. R. J. MoNrGoMERY 5 Sheet-Sheet 2 WIRE STRIEPER Filed sept. 12, 1940 7 +573 .50 9a El @M www J E@ @E L1 1 fff iI 7 ze 1a |n l l l Imgmmlm 111m I |llll aw @f Jun'Z. 1942 R. J. MONTGOMERY 2,285,167

WIRE STRIPPER Filed Sept. 12, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 33.5 305304, 303 @36630 5541 im' E 1"/ E00 a@ G.- l\\\;\\\\` ggg lui-a1 INVENTOR.

l@ Www/0km@ Y for stripp'fingi` Patented June 2, 1942 UN ITE D; STAT E S OFF IC E.

WIRE s'rnlrrnn Robert J. Montgomery, Chicago, Ill.`

ApplicationSeptember 12, 1940, Serial No. 356,494;

(Cl.-8l9.`51)

13 Claims.

This invention relates to cuttingrand stripping devices. Moreparticularly, it relates to a device for strippinginsulation from, electrical conduce tors;

Although devices are Vknown in thevcartfor stripping insulation from electrical conductors, as, for example, `when a bare section of a conductor is required in ordertofmakea connection, they, are subject to v.certain disadvantages. Thus, many are satisfactory where they are not subject to heavy use even though, due to their manner of operation, theyare not suited to heavy, continuous use. stripping in a distorted shape and make it necessary to straighten it before use. Still others Iare highly eiiicient in operation but are so complicated and expensiveas to preclude their use in many instances.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved `device for stripping covering material from electrical conductors. s

A further object isA to provide a device for re moving `insulation from electrical conductors which. is .adapted for heavy and continuous use.

Another object isA to provide a stripper for stripping insulation from electric wire which is Others `leave the conductor after` adapted toremove a portion of the insulation v without marring the wire or `distorting it out of shape.

Still another object is to provide a stripper :for electric wire which is adapted to strip a variable portionvof the insulation .from wire, whether the Wire be heavy, medium or light-in size.

' A still further object is to provide a Wire stripper which operates rapidly and easily and thus facilitates quick and complete stripping of large quantities of wire.

Another object is to provide a simple and inexpensive wire stripper which isat the same time strong and durable and thus adapted for heavy use. f

lt is also an object of the invention to provide a wire strip-per of the latter type which is readily adjustable for varying sizes of wire andfor stripping varying lengths of insulation. s

Other objects willappear hereinafter.

The manner in which these objects are accomplished will become more apparent from a Yconsideration of the attached drawings which form appart of this specincation and in which Figure l is a View inv perspective of a wire stripper embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a detail plan View showing the stripperV in its initial position with a wire inserte Figure 3 ,isa Viewsiniilar to Figure 2, showing theparts in the position they occupy when the stripper is at anintermediate point in its cycle of operation;

Fig. 4 is another AView `similar to Figures 2 and 3, showing the-positions occupied by the parts of the stripper after the wire has-been stripped andis ready for removal;

Figure 5 is a detailed vertical; sectionv on the line5-5 vin Figure 2;

Figure 611s ardetailed vertical section on the line 6-6 in Figure 2 Figure 7 is` a detailedvertical section on the` line 1 1 inFigure 3;.

Figure 8 is a View;I in .perspective of an.` L,l shaped member which is .attached to. the underv face of the cover; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical vsection on the line 9-.-9 in Figure 6.

Referring now tothe drawings in more detail, it isl seen that the device `comprises a hollow :base I0.provided with a Icover-|2 andA secured theretoby screws i4; Foot portions l'are provided at each corner of the base and have associated with them lugs I8 provided with openings 20 adapted to receive fastener units for securing the device to a support. Suitable lugs or projections are formed, as at 22on the upper surface of the .base lill to receive the screws 14.

A rectangular opening 2li` is provided near the upper edge of one side of the base through which the end of lever 2B, Which'is secured to cover l2, extends. The base is also provided at its front end `with a chute 28 formed integrally therewithk and extending from a point spaced inwardly fromA the outer edge of thebase l0 and about on a level with its upper surface down to a point near the bottom of the-base I 0 i at the front end thereof.

It will be noted that chute 23 islocatednearer to one side of .the base than to the other. Adjacent chute 28 and between it andthe nearer side,`

of the base an enlarged. portion 30.having a r horizontal `opening 32 therethrough is provided.`

Extending` in opening 32 from-the: outside' of base I0 to the inside is a rod 34 which .is slida ble and turnable in theopening 32. A set screw36,

to which accessdnay Vbe hadthrough` a suitable opening in the cover: l2l,\is` arranged tosecure rod 34,; in any; .position 1to which it may-be ad-V justed, Atlinlj 38-is rigidly, secured tothe outer end of rod Stand ingturn hasanotherroddl) rigidly :secured to itsopposite end. 'I'he other end of rodu ilhas secured to it a circularpcapjllZ v of lever 26. v

of cover |2 cam 54 is also mounted on pivot 12.

having a flat face 44. The purpose of cap 42 will become more apparent hereinafter.

The main portion of the operating mechanism of the stripper is mounted on the cover I2. Adjacent a rear corner of the cover I 2, on the under side, a generally L-shaped member 46 is provided. At the extremity of the long arm of L-shaped member 46 a vertically extending portion 48, integral with member 46, is provided. This member 48 serves to space L-shaped member 46 below the bottom surface of the cover I2 and is secured to the cover |2 by a screw 50 whereby it supports one end of member 46.

One vertical face 52 of the member 48 is set at an angle with all four edges of the cover l2 to provide a stop for cam portion 54. Near the angle in the L-shaped member 46 another vertically extending portion 56 is provided which is also integral with member 46. Portion 56, which has a generally rectangular horizontal cross-section, also serves the double purpose of spacing the L-shaped member 46 from the lower face of cover I2 and securing it thereto, screw 58 serving to hold portion 56 to the cover |2.

The end of the short arm of the L-shaped member 46 is curved and has formed on it between the L-shaped member and the lower face of the cover a disk-like part 66. Extending vertically through the center of this disk-like part 6|) and through the end of the short arm of L-shaped member 46 is an opening in which a pivot 62 is mounted. VThis pivot extends up into an aligned opening in the cover |2. Pivot 62 is secured against rotation by a set screw 64 mounted in the end of the short arm of L-shaped member 46. Turning on this pivot 62 is a long, knife operating arm 66.

On the long arm of member 46, at a point about midway between portions 48 and 56, another disk-like portion 'i0 is provided on the under face of portion 46. Mounted in a vertical opening extending centrally through disk 'i0 and through L-shaped member 46 is a pivot l2. A setscrew 74 secures this pivot against rotation.

The other end of pivot 12 is received in an opening in cover |2 which is aligned with the opening in disk 78.

Mounted to turn on pivot is the inner end Between lever 26 and the lower face Lever 26 rests in a slot in the face of cam 54 and is rigidly secured to cam 54 by a rivet T6. Cam 54 thus turns with lever 26.

Along one side of knife operating arm 66 adjacent cam 54 a notch T8 receives a small bar 8|). Bar 80 is secured to arm 66 by screws 82. The forward end 84 of bar 88 is beveled to cooperate with cam 54. Knife operating arm 66 extends from pivot 62 lengthwiseof the cover to a point near the forward end of the device. At its forward end it is provided with an elongated opening 86 in which a pin 88 is loosely received. A coil spring 90, secured at one end to the cover I2 by a fastener 62 and at the other end to arm 66 by a fastener 94, normally urges the arm 66 in a direction away from the center of the stripping device.

f Returning now to the lever 26, it is seen that it extends from the pivot 12 out through the opening 24 and terminates in a handle receiving portion 66 in which a handle 98 is inserted. Set

, Screw |08 serves-to hold' the handle 98 in place.

Threaded into a vertical opening located adjacent the end of lever 26, upon which handle receiving portion 96 is formed, is a pin |82.V A nut |84 on the lower side of lever 26 firmly secures the pin |62 in place. Pin |62 extends up into an elongated slot Iit` in link |88. Pin |62 is freely slidable in the slot |86 and does not extend up through cover |2.

At the end of link |68 opposite to that in which slot |66 is located a vertically extending pin is rigidly secured by a key ||2. Mounted on pin H8 on the upper side of link |86 is a spacing collar H4. The pin ||6 and the spacing collar ||4 extend up through a longitudinal slot ||6 in the cover |2. Parallel to the slot ||6 is a narrower slot ||8 in the cover |2, although a single wider slot may be provided instead of these two. Such wider slot would have the same length as slot H8 and a width equal to the dis-4 tance between the outer edges of slots ||6 and.

H8. movement of collar ||4 and pin H6.

Slot ||6 is provided to permit longitudinalv The nar-- rower slot ||8 receives pins |26 and |22 for lon-- gitudinal movement. 'Ihese two pins |28 and |22. are rigidly attached to a plate to engage lever 26.

t will be noted that these pins |26 and |221 The forward pin shape but is flattened on the sides where it is in contact with the sides of the slot H8.

only where it comes in contact with link |68.. The spacing of pin |26 with respect to pin |22. may be varied somewhat or pin |28 may be omitted. These variations are described more fully hereinafter.

Turning now to the upper face of cover |2, it is seen that the long rectangular plate |24, to which reference has already been made, is arranged to slide in a channel which is parallel with the long sides of the cover |2 but is located somewhat nearer the side on which the lever 26 projects rom the base. The channel is formed by two parallel, raised portions |26 and |28 extending lengthwise of the cover I2 and rigidly secured thereto. The raised portions |26 and |28 may be cast integrally with the cover or may be formed separately and secured thereto by suitable dowel pins (not shown) or by welding, or both, or any other suitable means.

Mounted upon the parts |26 and 28, respectively, are bars |36 and |22 which are somewhat wider than portions |26 and |28 and extend over the channel formed between the parts |26 and |28, as indicated at |64. The parts |26 and |28 are thick enough and are spaced apart sufliciently to allow the plate |24 to slide between them. The bars |38 and |32 serve to retain the plate |24 within the channel or guideway in which it slides.

Mounted upon the upper side of plate |24 adjacent the forward end thereof is a pair of gripping members |36 and I 38, gripping member |36 being xed on the plate, and gripping member 38 being mounted for limited turning movement. These gripping members |36 and |38 include, respectively, arms |46 and |42 and toothed portions |44 and |46.

The toothed portions |44 and |46, having teeth |48 and |58 on their opposed vertical faces,

|24 slidably mounted on the upper face of cover |2 and ex tend below cover |2 a distance sufficient to per-l mit them to engage link |68 but not far enough.

Pin |2 on the other hand, is also generally circular inshape but is somewhat smaller and is flattened',

are generally L-shaped` in cross-section. The Vhorizontal parts of toothed portionsv |44Y and |46 are provided, respectively, with elongated open- Bolts |56 and'` |58, respec-` ings |52 and |54. tively, are passed through these openings and into openings in arms |48 and |42, respectively. The elongated openings |52 and |54 are provided to permit adjustment of toothed members |44 and |46 relative to each other.` The washers |60 and |62 serve to permit bolts |56 and |58 to be tightened after adjustment without displacing the toothed members |44 and |46. If desired, the means for adjusting the gripping members |36 and |38 may be omitted.

Bolt |56'V passes through stationary gripping member |36 and is threaded into an aligned opening in plate |24. Bolt |58, on the other hand, passes only into arm |42`in whichit is threaded, since arm |42 must be free to turn with respect to plate |24. Arm |40 of the stationary gripping member |36 is secured at the end voppositeto that upon which toothed portion |44- is mounted by a screw |64 threaded into a suitable opening in plate |24. The stationary gripping member |36 is shown as having a shape similar to L that of the movable gripping member |88 `for purposes of symmetry, butr it will be apparent that the toothedportion |44 may be of any desired configuration and may be secured in position with its teeth |48 opposed to the teeth |58 in any I Y desired Way.

in the plate |24 in which it is free to turn, and if? thence through an opening in the rear end of arm |42 to which it is keyed by a key |68. It is and over the plate 80, and thus serve to'retain it within the 'aforesaid channel. At |86 the plate |88 is made thicker by a portion extending up i between the bars |82 and |84 so that it may be raised portion |18 a spacing collar |84 is keyed onto screw |88. Screw |88, which passes freely througha smooth opening in portion |02, has a shoulder |96 which rests against the outer vertical side of the portion |92 and positions-screw |88 with respect to the cover against being drawn inwardly when it is turned. Collar |04 serves a similar purpose with respect to outward movement of the screw |88. The body of the plate |88 is cut out at |88 to provide free space for the end Vof the screw |88.

, vided with an elongated opening 283 through thus seen that the gripping member |38 turns with the link |88. In order to permit gripping member |38 to pass over the bar |32, it is cutout |12 and |14 are provided, portion |10 lying ad V jacent the forward end of portions |26 andV |28, and raised portions |12 and |14 lying adjacent the forward end of cover |2 but spaced inwardly therefrom slightly to permit securing means I4, previously described, to be inserted. It will be seen that portion |12 extends from the side of the cover, from which lever |26 projects, over to the chute 28, and that portion |14 extends from the other side of the chute28 to the other side of the Vcover l2.

Another raised portion |16 extends between the adjacent outer ends of raised portions |18 and |14. The adjacent outer ends of raised portions |10 and |12 are also joined by a raised portion |18. As was true of portions |26 and |28, portions |18, |112 and |14 may be formed integral with the cover I2 or may be formed` separately and suitably secured thereto. Likewise, portions |16 and |18 may be integral with the cover I2 or may be formed separately or, with the portions |18, |12A and |14, may form a single member which is suitably secured to the cover |2.

Referring now more particularly to the portions |18 and |12, it may be seen that they form a channel therebetween in whichr a rectangular plate |88 is mounted for sliding movement. Bars |82 and |84 are mounted, respectively, on raised portions |18 and` |12 and are wider than the raised portions so that they extend lin over the channel between the raised portions |18and' |12 which a screw 284 is passed and secured to knife holder 28.8. `This opening 283 in the knife 282 permits it to be adjusted in the slot 28| in a horizontall direction transversely of the cover l2.

Screw 286, which is threaded into the outer end of knife holder 288, has one portion of the Vunder side of the head resting against the outer end of knife 282 and serves as additional adjusting and securing means for knife 282. The cutting edge of knife 282 is beveled as at 288, and near the mid portion vertically of the beveled cutting edge of knife 282 a slot 2|8, parallel with the beveled cutting edge 288, is provided to receive the wire 2|2 which is to be Stripped.

In the channel between raised portions |14 and |18 another long rectangular plate 2|4 is mounted for sliding movement, bars 2|6 and 2|8 being mounted on top of raised portions |10 and |14 and extending over plate 2|4 to secure it in the channel-between portions |10 and |14.

The pin 88, previously referred'to, which eX- tends down through the opening in the forward end of knife operating arm 66, extends upwardly through an elongated transverse slot provided in cover |2, and thence through plate 2|4 above which the upper end of pin 88 is riveted down to secure` it to the plate 2|4.

` Near the inner end of plate 2|4 a vertically extending knife holder 228, similar to knife holder 288, is mounted in a slot 22| in theplate 2|4 and suitably secured thereto. Knife 222, identical with knife 28,2, is fitted in a slot 223 in the vertical forward face of knife holder 228'. Knife 222 is also provided with an elongated opening 225 through which screwv 224 is passed and threaded into knife holder 228 to secure knife 222 in position, the elongated opening permitting adjustment of the knife 222 in the slot 223 v in a horizontal direction transversely of the cover Vraised portion 1'10 and cover 12.

ilar to slot 210 and fits around the opposite side Y of the wire 212 to be stripped.

Between the inner ends of bars 182 and 216 the raised portion 111! is cut away at a space 232 in line with the end of the chute 28 and the space between the toothed gripping portions 144 and 146 when they are closed. In this space 232 a small section of bar material 234, similar to that from which bars 182 and 216 are formed, is mounted. Vertical guide pins 236 and 238 on bar 234 are slidably mounted in openings in Intermediate these guide pin openings another opening extends through raised portion 118 Vand the cover 12, which said opening is enlarged at its upper end. and is threaded at its lower end to receive a screw 240, the head of which lits in a dished out opening on the top of bar 234.

Between the under side of the bar 234 and the bottom of the enlarged portion of said intermediate opening a coil spring 239 is mounted around screw 240 so as to normally force the plate 234 upwardly. By means of this spring and screw arrangement the plate 234 may be adjusted vertically with respect to the cover 12 and serves to position the forward end of the wire 212 between the slots 21D and 238 in the knives 282 and 222. A V-groove 242, centrally located on the upper surface of bar 234, further assists in positioning the wire 212. A

The above description of the various parts of the device will be better understood from a consideration of the actual operation of the device in stripping a portion of insulation from an insulated electric wire, such as the wire 212 shown in the drawings. Before proceeding with this description, it is to be noted that the knives 282 and 222 are readily removable so that a Variety of knives, having different sized slots 218 and 238, can be provided. By providing such a variety of knives, a single machine is adapted to strip a large number of different sizes of insulated wire.

Having selected suitable knives 202 and 222 and inserted them in position in the machine, the knife 282 is rst roughly adjusted to a position where it will just be met by the knife 222, at the innermost end of the movement of knife 222, by adjusting screws 284 and 286. Although knife holders 26D and 228 may be arranged as desired, they are ordinarily positioned and constructed so that the cutting edges of the knives 202 and 222 do not exactly meet but are oifset Yslightly from each other in a direction lengthwise of the cover 12. Although the knife holders 288 and 228 are particularly referred to, such f offset arrangement of the knives may also be produced by varying the position of any other of the various parts which determine the position of the knives with respect to each other.

After the rough positioning of the xed knife 282, it may be further adjusted by means of the screw 188. The wire 212 is then placed in the machine in the position shown in Figure 2, the

Vscrew 248 being adjusted, if necessary, to raise or lower plate 234 so that it will support the wire on a level with the notches 2H) and 238. The cap 42 is positioned so that the end of the wire 212 rests against it, as shown in Figure 2. The distance between the flat face 44 of the cap 42 and the knives 282 and 222 determines the length of insulation which is stripped from the wire 212. By loosening the set screw 36, the bar 234 may be slid in or out of the base 18 so as to position the cap 42 atthe point where the desired length of insulation will be removed.

At the start of the operation the parts of the machine are in the position shown in Figure 2, the projecting end of the lever 26 being at its forwardmost point of travel. In this position it can be seen that the cam 54 is in position where the projecting portion of the cam 54 lies forward of the bar 88 so that spring 90 is enabled to hold the knife operating arm 66 away from the center of the device, and this knife operating arm, acting through the pin 86, holds the knife 222 away from the knife 282. Also, the movable gripping member 138 is pushed to open position by reason of the fact that the outer end of link 108 is pushed to its forwardmost position, which turns it in a counterclockwise direction on the pivot 1 10 and thus turns the gripping member 138 which is keyed to it.

In order to strip the wire, the lever 26 is drawn toward the rear by the handle 98. Some frictional engagement is provided between the plate 124 and the channel into which it slides. For this reason, as the handle is moved to the rear, the screw 162 slides inwardly in the slot 166 and the link 18B turns in a clockwise direction on the pivot 116, carrying the gripping member 138 to closed position, as shown in Figure 3. Due to the sliding action of the pivot 182, the plate 124 is not moved during this phase of the operation.

Sufficient space is provided between the pins 121) and 122 to permit the link 188 to move the operating arm 138 to closed position before the travel of link 188 carries it into contact with the rear pin 12D. Substantially at the time the gripping arm 138 reaches closed position the link 108 comes in contact with the rear pin 120, however. During this same movement of the lever the cam member 54 is also turning in a clockwise direction on the pivot '12. As it turns, the side of the projection of the cam 54 pressing against the beveled forward face 84 of the bar 80 forces the bar 89, and with it the knife operating arm S6, toward the center of the device, thus moving the knife 222 through the pin 88 into contact with the knife 282, with the wire 212 between and lying in the slots 218 and 230. As the knives come together the insulation is cut at the point where they meet. Figure 3 shows the device in the position just described.

Further movement of the lever 26 toward the rear presses the link -101i against the pin 120 and moves the plate 124 rearwardly. The gripping members 136 and 138, being mounted on the plate, move with it to pull the wire toward the rear. At the same time the outer face of the projection of the cam member 54 moves from the beveled forward face 84 of the bar 88 to the side thereof and retains the knife 222 in position against the knife 262. The insulation forward of the knives 262 and 222 is thus held in position by the knives while the conductor portion which this insulation surrounds is pulled backwardly along with the rest of the wire 212 by the gripping members 136 and 138. The lever 26 is continued back until all of the bare end of the wire 212 has been drawn through the knife blades and until the handle receiving portion 86 of the lever 26 strikes the side of the device and stops it. By the time the lever 26 reaches this position the wire has been pulled entirely through the knives and the plate 124 has acquired some momentum in a rear direction which causes it to continue in motion.

This continued motion of the plate 124, carrying with it the pivot 1 10, causes the link 188, and with it the arm 138, to turn on the pivot 111), the outer end of link 108 being unable to move furshown in Figure 4. After removal of the stripped wire 2|2 the lever 26 is again moved to forward position where the machine is ready to strip another piece of wire.

The arrangement of the link |68 rigid with gripping member |38, having a lost motion connection with lever 26 and pivoting on plate |24 to open and close gripping member |38, serves a purpose in addition to what has been described above. More particularly, by reason of this arrangement, if the movement of the lever 26 toward the rear is interrupted and reversed at any point, the first effect of such reversal is `to open the gripping member |38 and release the wire 2|2. This will take place always before the movement of the plate |24 is reversed since it occurs as lever 26 is moving toward pin |22 with which it must be .i

' vantages of this feature of operation is that the wire 212 cannot be bent by such reversal as it might be. It is clear, of course, that if the'wire were not released from the gripping member |38,

forward movement of the plate would tend to push the .wire forwardly through the knives 202 and 222 and back inside the partially removed insulation if the latter were resting against cap 42. There is a strong probability, however, particularly i-f the wire is of rather small diameter, that the wire would bend if so pushed toward the knives instead of passing therethrough and/or that it would be `scarredr or cut. It is, of course, highly desirable that a wire stripper should neither bend, cut, mar or otherwise damage a wire being stripped. j

The fact that gripping member |38 opens when lever 26 is reversed .not only has the advantage of preventing injury to the wire but has the additional advantage of permitting shifting of `the gripping members |36 and |38 with respect to the wire without removing the wire from the stripper. For example, the lever .26 can -be moved rearwardly a sufficient distance to strip a .portion .of the wire and :then the movement of lever 26 can .be reversed `wherebygripping member |38 will Aopen and, `by continuing Yto cnove lever 26 forward but preferably not -far enough to open knives 262 and 222 (they are open only 4in the forwardmost position vof :lever :2-6) the plate 24 can be moved with respect to wire 212 -to bring the gripping members nearer to the partiallystripped portionof wirelZ 2 where theyoan again be caused to gripwire 2 2 by again reversing 'lever 26 and moving it rearwardly. This feature, amongbtherthings, increases the length Aof insulation, relative to the distance plate |24 canmo've with respect to cover I2, that can be' removed by the stripper-without lifting the wire or opening the knives. 262 and 222. In shifting uto a newlgrip on wire .2|2 as described,`it is preferable rto'avoidinoving lever2'6 sofar forward as to openknives 262 and22f2 since `these knives, remaining closed, Eh'old the wire 'in cplace. If the length of'in'sulationto lbe removed is unusually long., a pn'rition may sbe :removed as described above and'lthen, after `releasing :gripping `member |38 but 'without moving Ilever 2.6 far lenough 'forward to .open knives 2.62 and i222., the balance of the insulation .may lberemoved by pulling the wire 2 2 through AlmivesZ-Z 'and'f222 by hand or 'by repeating the `operation o"f lmoving thegripping mem- Y it is obvious that the gripping pressure will be Vthe plate |24 is negligible.

bers |36 and |38 forward along wire 2|2 to get a new grip thereon. A

It is pointed out above that gripping members |36 and |38 are made. adjustable, the obvious pur.`

pose of the adjustment being to adapt the stripper for use on various sizes of wire. With the adjustable gripping members, pin |23 may be placed so that lever 26 comes in contact with it just as gripping member |33 reaches closed position. This construction has the advantage that the pressure of the gripping members |36 and' |38 on the wire during stripping is determined by their adjustment which may be arranged so that the pressure will be of any desired magnitude within reasonable limits. f

It is further pointed out above thatthe spacing` of pin |26 from pin |22 may be varied; for example, pin |26 can be set so yfar awayfrom pin |22 or can be so located that lever 26 will not come into contact with it as gripper |33 reaches closed position. It is also disclosed that pin |20 may be omitted entirely and that the adjustable feature of the gripping members may be omitted. When pin |26 is spaced farther from pin |22 or omitted as described, it is clear that the lever 26 will force plate |24 rearwardly only when and because further pivoting of link |68 and gripping member |33 is arrested by wire 2|2 so that force exerted by lever 26 on the outer end of link |63, not produc-,

ving further pivoting, forces the pivot lli) rearwardly carrying plate |24 with it. In this event related to the power of pull on lever 26 necessary to remove the insulation. If the gripping pressure .so produced is not undesirable, this construction may be used. It has the decided advantage that adjustment of the gripping members |36 and |38 relative to each other isy not necessary to accommodate various sizes of wire.

Thus, for example, it will be appreciated that when the lever 26 is initially shifted to the left from the position shown in Figure 2, it tends to rotate the lever |63 and also the rigidly connected arm |42 about their pivot l| Ii] since of course the frictional resistance to rotation of these two levers or arms with respect to the pivotal mounting on In the instant embodiment wherein the pin |26 is omitted, it will be evident that the arms |68 and |42 willcontinue to turn while the. plate |24 remains quiescent until the `movable rgripping member |38 contacts Vthe stationary gripping member |36 which is rigid with the sliding plate |24, or with what is substantially the same thing, namely theY vwork gripped between the jaws. In other words, the iixedjaw |36 constitutes a ymember disposed in the .path of movement of the movable jaw and rigid with the plate so that further rotation of the movable jaw with respect to its supporting pivot is rendered impossible. From this point on, therefore, movement of the jaws is prevented and the force applied to the lever is resolved in shifting the sliding plate |24 to the left and carrying with it the insulation gripped between the jaws. It will be obvious from the foregoing therefore that the greater the force necessary to move the slide and to pull the insulation from the wire the greater will be the resultant force urging the movable jaw |33 toward the `fixed jaw |36. Thus,

in accordance with the structure brought out byl the broad claims herein, the Ygripping force is greater as the force required to move lthe gripping means away from the stripping means becomes greater.

`Although one vembodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail herein, it will be understood that the detailed description is not to be construed as a limitation upon the invention. The specic description will make the general principles of construction clear to those skilled in the art so Vthat modifications within its scope will be readily perceived. Thus, for example, although teeth are shown on both gripping members |36 and |38, it is obvious that they may be omitted on one without sacrice of function. Also, some or all of the adjustments may be omitted, particularly where two or more are provided for the same member. They are preferred for the increased utility they give, but their absence does not render the stripper inoperative.

Suitable materials from which to construct the various parts of the stripper will be apparent to those skilled in theY art. Thus, the frame of the stripper may be made of cold rolled steel or may be cast iron or any other desired material. The use of cast iron has the advantage that many of the raised portions on the cover and other associated parts may be cast in one piece, thereby simplifying the construction.

The wire stripper described herein is designed for stripping both heavy and light wire and to withstand constant use. It has the advantage of being capable of withstanding such usage over long periods and being at the same time simple and inexpensive. The absence of any parts moving at high speed minimizes lubrication requirements. Also, since the cutters do not turn with respect to the wire, there is no danger that twisted wire will become untwisted, bent or broken during stripping. The handle operation permits ready return of the device from its final position to its starting position so that there is no necessity for providing resilient means for restoring the device to condition for Yreceiving another wire to be stripped after one has been stripped. Absence of such means avoids the difficulty that the machine in returning to starting position may bend or break the wire already stripped. It will be observed that the stripper operates in a straight line perpendicular to the knives so that it possesses the advantage that the wire is not distorted or bent out of shape by the stripping. All of theseadvantages are obtained without sacrifice of ease. orV rapidity of operation. Other advantages will be obvious from the foregoing description.

It is apparent that many widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spiritand scope thereof and, therefore, it is not intended to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

l. In a wire stripper, the combination including a stripping instrumentality and a gripping instrumentality, a guideway, means movable in the guideway and mounting at least one of said instrumentalities for movement in a path toward and away from theother instrumentality, a control lever, cam means associated with the lever and engaging one of said instrumentalities to actuate same, means operatively connecting the lever to the first named means, said operatively connecting means being associated with the other instrumentality to move the same toward the work in response to movement of the lever whereby said movement of the lever will cause the second instrumentality to move along said path for stripping the wire.

2. In a wire stripper, the combination including a stripping instrumentality and a gripping instrumentality, movable means mounting atleast one of said instrumentalities, means for guiding said movable means for movement in a path toward and away from the other instrumentality, a control lever, means associated with said lever engaging one of said instrumentalities to actuate same, means operatively connecting the lever to the first named means, said operatively connecting means being associated with the other instrumentality to move the same toward the Work in response to movement of the lever whereby said movement of the lever will cause the second instrumentality to move along said path for stripping the wire.

3. In a wire stripper, the combination including a stripping instrumentality and a gripping instrumentality, a guideway, means movable in the guideway and mounting at least one of said instrumentalities for movement in a path toward and away from the other instrumentality, a control lever, means associated with said lever engaging one of said instrumentalities to actuate same, link means operatively connecting the 1ever to the first named means, said operatively connecting link means.being associated with the other instrumentality to move the same toward the work in response to movement of the lever whereby said movement of the lever will cause the second instrumentality to move along said path for stripping the wire.

4. In a wire stripper, the combination including a stripping instrumentality and a gripping instrumentality, a guideway, means movable in the guideway and mounting at least one of said instrumentalities for movement in a path toward and away from the other instrumentality, a control lever, cam means rigid with the lever and engaging one of said instrumentalities to actuate same, means operatively connecting the lever to the first named means and comprising a link having a lost motion connection with the lever, said operatively connecting means being associated with the other instrumentality to move the same toward the work in response to movement of the lever whereby said movement of the lever will cause the second instrumentality to move along said path for stripping the wire.

5. In a wire stripper, the combination including a stripping instrumentality and a gripping instrumentality, movable means in the guideway and mounting at least one of said instrumentalities, means forguiding said movable means for movement in a path toward and away from the other instrumentality, a control lever, means associated with said lever engaging said stripping instrumentality to actuate same, means operatively connecting the lever to the first named means, said operatively connecting means being associated with the gripping instrumentality to move the same toward the work in response to movement of the lever whereby said movement of the lever will cause the gripping instrumentality to move along said path for stripping the wire.

6. In a wire stripper, the combination including a stripping instrumentality and a gripping instrumentality, a guideway, means movable in the guideway and mounting at least one of said instrumentalities for movement in a path toward and away from the other instrumentality, a con- Y lever to the rst named means, said operatively connecting means being associated with the gripping instrumentality to move the same toward the work in response to movement of the lever whereby said movement of the lever will cause thesecond instrumentality to move along said path` for stripping the wire.

7. In a'wire stripper, the combinationincluding a stripping instrumentality and a gripping instrumentality, movable means in the guideway and mounting at least oneof said instrumentalities, means for guiding said movable means for movementl in a path toward and away from the other instrumentality, a control lever, means associated with said lever engaging one of said instrumentalities to actuate same, means operatively connecting the lever to the rst named means and comprising a link having a lost motion connection with the lever, said operatively connecting means being associated with the other instrumentality to move the same toward the work in response to movement of the lever whereby said movement of the lever will cause the second instrumentality to move along said path for stripping the wire.

pivotally mounted gripping jaw, a guideway, means movable in the guideway and mounting said gripping instrumentality for movement in a path toward and away from` the stripping instrumentality, a control lever, means associated with said lever engaging said stripping instrumentality to actuate same, link means operatively connecting the lever to the iirst named means, said link means being rigid with the pivotally mounted gripping jaw to move the same toward the work in response to movement of the lever whereby said movement of the lever will cause the second instrumentality to move along said path for stripping the wire.

1l. In a wire stripper, the combination including a stripping instrumentality and a gripping instrumentality, a guideway, means movable in the guideway and mounting at least one of said instrumentalities for movement in a path toward and away from the other instrumentality, a control lever, means associated with 8. In a wire stripper, the combination includ- Y ing a stripping instrumentality and a gripping instrumentality, said gripping instrumentality comprising a shiftable gripping jaw, a guideway, means movable in the guideway and mounting said gripping instrumentality for movement in a path `toward and away from the other instrumentality, a control lever, means associated with said lever engaging said stripping instrumental- 'ity to actuate same, vmeans operatively connecting the lever to the rst named means, said operatively `connecting means comprising a link associated with the shiftab-le gripping member to gripping jaw, a guideway, means movable in the guideway and mounting said gripping instrumentality for movement in a path toward and away from the stripping instrumentality, a control lever, means associated with said lever engaging said stripping instrumentality to actuate same, link means operatively connectingthe lever to the first named means, said link means being associated with the shiftable gripping jawv to move the same toward the work in response to movement of the lever whereby said movement of the lever will cause the second instrumentality to move along said path for stripping the wire.

l0. In a wire stripper, the combination including a stripping instrumentality and a gripping instrumentality, said'gripping instrumentality comprising a fixed gripping jaw and a said lever engaging one of said instrumentalities to actuate the same, means operatively connecting the lever to the i'lrst named means, said operatively connecting means being associated with'the other instrumentality to move the same toward the Work in response to movement ofv the lever, and interengaging stop means on said operatively connecting means andsaidrst named means for positively shifting the second instrumentality along said path for shifting the wire i 13. In a wire stripper, the combination includ-` ing a stripping instrumentality and a gripping instrumentality, movable means mounting at least one of said instrumentalities, means for guiding said movable means for movement in a path toward and away from the other instru-V mentality, a control lever, means associated with said lever engaging one of said instrumentalities tov actuate same, means operatively connecting Vthe lever to the iirst named means, said operatively connecting means being associated with the other instrumentality to move the same toward the Work in response to movement of the lever, said rst named means being provided With means in the path of movement of said operatively connecting means whereby said movement of the lever will cause the second instrumentality to move along said path for stripping the wire.

ROBERT J. MONTGOMERY. 

